Utilization Of GPA And MCAT Scores For Medical School Admission

How are your GPA and MCAT Scores used by Med Schools?

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is an exam conducted to
evaluate your eligibility for the study of medicine. MCAT score is a
necessity for applying to almost all medical schools in the US and
Canada. However, what about your grades at the undergraduate level? Do
medical schools consider the candidates’ GPAs as well, while selecting
prospective students? If yes, how are the GPA
MCAT scores going to affect the admission procedure?

The truth is that both are important, and there is no single method
to assert either one as more important than the other. Many medical
schools consider GPA MCAT scores to
screen candidates, while many others give more importance to either GPA
or MCAT scores, depending on the individual institute’s policies. And
there are many others who have a cutoff mark to screen out the
candidates. A yet another bunch of schools evaluates the candidates
more holistically than by just looking at their GPAs or MCAT scores.

The GPA Factor

GPA reflects your understanding of the subjects you have taken for
your undergraduate studies. The better the grade, the better are the
chances of admission to medical schools, as in the case of any other
schools. For example, a GPA of 4.0 is definitely better than a GPA of
3.5, which is even better than a GPA of 3.0. And this score
could vary considerably, based on the difficulty levels of the courses
you take for your undergraduate study and also depending on the place
from where you take your courses. ThisGrade Point Average
is also a reflection of your personality traits and your study habits –
how hardworking, and diligent you are. Most medical schools look at GPA
as this could be an indicator of your success as a prospective medical
student. And this also means that even with a relatively lower MCAT
score, you still might have a chance, provided your GPA is good.

MCAT Scores

MCAT score is a more objective and clearer
benchmark for comparing
students. As against the undergraduate grades, MCAT score numbers are
the result of a standardized and objective test whereby the verbal
reasoning and critical thinking abilities of the students could be
checked and compared in addition to their cognition of the subjects
like Physical and Biological Sciences. Based on the AAMC aggregated
data for 2008-2010, the average total MCAT scores of applicants to
medical schools was 28.3.

Each of the multiple choice sections of this
test has a maximum
score of 15 points (aggregating to a maximum of 45 points); however, a
perfect score is not that common. A score of 30 is considered good,
while anything above 36 places you amongst the top best in the country.
The Writing Sample part of the test is scored separately using a letter
(from J to T in ascending order) and this is also considered for your
medical school admission.

However, it does not mean that a good MCAT
score alone can guarantee
you a seat; nor can we assume that a high GPA can get you through.
According to the AAMC aggregated data for 2009-2011 again, the
acceptance rate is only 23.1% with an MCAT score in the range 39-45
(but with GPA in the range of 2.6- 2.79 only). And, the acceptance rate
was 66.6% with GPA in the range 3.8-4.0 and MCAT score in the range
27-29. And this clearly indicates that a better combo of GPA and MCAT
score is what works. Depending upon the policy of the medical school
you
apply to, a high GPA might sometimes make up for a not so great MCAT
score and vice versa. A more holistic evaluation based on interviews,
resume, and the overall application can also elevate your chances
despite poor GPA or MCAT scores. Another important factor that
could work for or against your application is the number of
applications a school receives. The more the number of applications,
the more competitive the selection or screening criterion becomes, and
GPA, MCAT scores, or a combination of the two are used to screen out
rather than select the candidates. While many prestigious schools try
to work with such heavier cutoffs and limit the number by raising their
benchmarks, the relatively ordinary schools stick to lower benchmarks
and might apply more lenient selection criteria.